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El Deafo is a true treat! It is the autobiography in graphic novel form of Cece Bell's childhood. She experience menangitis when she was four and became deaf. The book chronicles her experience with a hearing aid as a child of the 70's and 80's. It will not only make you laugh, but it will make you root for Cece as she navigates school, friendships, and life with a hearing aid. My favorite illustrations are the ones where she shows her mom smoking and having a glass of wine with a neighbor friend when the kids get home from school; the 70's at their best! ( )

This was a cute book about the author's childhood and how she dealt with the hearing loss she suffered after contracting meningitis. She had to wear a large voice amplifier at school so she could understand the teacher. The story is all about how she dealt with the embarrassment of it all, including the challenges with reading lips and her refusal to learn sign language so she wouldn't stick out. I could identify with all the parts of the book about friendship. I wasn't deaf and yet my childhood pretty much lined up with hers exactly.

This is a graphic novel and maybe that's why the language is so simplistic. I felt like I was reading a book written for second graders. I also didn't fully understand the superhero thing. I get that she felt like she had a superpower because she could listen in on her teacher's conversations, but beyond that it didn't make much sense. Did she feel like a superhero at the time or is it something that came to her later? ( )

In this charming, autobiographical, children's graphic novel Cece Bell illustrates her experiences as a child who lost her hearing due to illness at the age of four. Humorous, heartwarming and illuminating. ( )

Wikipedia in English (1)

Going to school and making new friends can be tough. But going to school and making new friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to your chest? That requires superpowers! In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, author/illustrator Cece Bell chronicles her hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a very powerful—and very awkward—hearing aid.The Phonic Ear gives Cece the ability to hear—sometimes things she shouldn’t—but also isolates her from her classmates. She really just wants to fit in and find a true friend, someone who appreciates her as she is. After some trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become “El Deafo, Listener for All.” And more importantly, declare a place for herself in the world and find the friend she’s longed for.

Haiku summary

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▾Library descriptions

The author recounts in graphic novel format her experiences with hearing loss at a young age, including using a bulky hearing aid, learning how to lip read, and determining her "superpower."